Malaysia remains the most-visited destination for foreign tourists in Southeast Asia during the first half of 2026. The country recorded 21.12 million international visitor arrivals between January and June 2026.
According to statistics from Malaysia’s tourism ministry, that figure marks a 2.5% increase compared to the same period last year, and a striking 17.7% higher than pre-pandemic levels in 2019. The result keeps Malaysia on track to hit its full-year 2026 target under the Visit Malaysia 2026 (VM2026) campaign, which is aiming for 47 million arrivals for the year. ASEAN markets remained the backbone of that growth, contributing 72.8% of total arrivals, while East Asia , powered largely by China , grew 12.7%.
The Full Southeast Asia Tourism Ranking, H1 2026
1. Malaysia , 21.12 million visitors (+2.5% YoY) Still the region’s undisputed leader, driven by expanded regional air connectivity, the VM2026 campaign, and strong contributions from Singapore, China, and Indonesia as key source markets.
2. Thailand , approximately 16.2–17.4 million visitors Thailand’s numbers have actually declined slightly year-on-year, down roughly 3% compared to the same period in 2025, as the country shifts its tourism strategy away from raw visitor volume toward higher-value, higher-spending tourism.
3. Vietnam , 12.3 million visitors (+14.9% YoY) Vietnam continues to post the region’s most impressive growth rate, once again overtaking Indonesia in total visitor numbers. Strong intra-ASEAN travel, visa facilitation, and expanding low-cost carrier routes have all contributed to the surge.
4. Singapore , 8.19 million visitors (-1.7% YoY) Despite still edging out Indonesia in total arrivals, Singapore saw a rare dip, driven by slowing visitor numbers from key markets including Indonesia and India.
5. Indonesia , 7.45 million visitors (+5.71% YoY) Indonesia posted solid growth, but was overtaken once again by Vietnam and remains behind Singapore in the regional rankings.
6. Philippines , approximately 2.96–3.16 million visitors (+5.4% to +7.5% YoY) The Philippines remains optimistic about hitting its full-year target of 6.7 million visitors.
7. Laos , nearly 2.6 million visitors (+9.9% YoY) A solid growth trajectory continuing from previous years.
8. Cambodia , approximately 1.75 million visitors (-47.9% YoY) Cambodia stands out as the clear outlier in the region, posting a sharp decline compared to every other Southeast Asian destination.
9. Myanmar , 530,973 visitors
10. Brunei Darussalam , nearly 400,000 visitors (+7.8% YoY) Up from around 370,000 visitors in the same period last year.
What This Means for the Region
The data paints a picture of an increasingly competitive Southeast Asian tourism landscape. Malaysia and Thailand still dominate in sheer volume, while Vietnam continues strengthening its position as one of the fastest-growing destinations in the region.
Indonesia, meanwhile, has posted respectable growth of its own , but with Vietnam pulling further ahead and Singapore still holding a lead despite its own decline, Indonesia will likely need to sharpen its competitive edge to keep pace with faster-growing neighbors going into the second half of 2026.
